What is Hydrotherapy (water therapy)?
Category: Physical Therapy
Most popular types: Warm water therapy Pool therapy Walk-in, deep soak tub with bubble jets Show all
See also: Aquatic Therapy Exercises Balneotherapy Hot Pool Exercises
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy involves the use of water for soothing pains and treating diseases. Hydrotherapy is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or spinal cord injuries and in patients suffering burns, spasticity, stroke or paralysis.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibromyalgia | 73 | 27 | |
| Pain | 58 | 20 | |
| Muscle pain | 38 | 14 | |
| Improve flexibility/strength | 11 | 10 | |
| General health | 7 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 5 | |
| Moderate | 7 | |
| Mild | 16 | |
| None | 37 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Hydrotherapy (water therapy)
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 3 | |
| Muscle soreness | 3 | |
| Pain | 3 | |
| Bursitis in hips | 1 | |
| Cramps in calf muscles | 1 | |
| Cramps in feet | 1 |
Why patients stopped taking Hydrotherapy (water therapy)
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 23 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 20 | |
| Did not seem to work | 14 | |
| Expense | 10 | |
| Side effects too severe | 6 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 3 | |
| Doctor's advice | 2 |
Duration
Stopped going to Hydrotherapy (water therapy)
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 10 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 29 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 10 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 5 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 5 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 2 |
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